(The Center Square) – A low-oxygen “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico was larger than average and what was predicted, a recent survey found.

The “dead zone” with little to no oxygen can kill fish and marine life is approximately 6,705 square miles, or 4 million acres, the 12th largest found in 38 years of surveys. Work was done by scientists from Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium supported by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.